In this episode, Inland Empire Community News Owners/Publishers Manny and Denise sit down with Arts Connection Executive Director Alejandro Gutierrez Chavez and Program Supervisor Andrea Bonales. Together, they uncover San Bernardino County arts advocacy, creative workforce development, the forthcoming Inland Film Fest, and more! Oh, and they also call out companies for hosting music and arts events in the IE, but still branding them as "Los Angeles."

Is investing in the arts a waste of money in San Bernardino—or part of a broader plan to support local culture? We sat down with Garcia Center for the Arts Executive Director Michael Segura to talk gentrification, artist housing, public funding, and how the center is creating a safe, accessible space for community engagement. Special thank you to the Institute of Media Arts for lending us their state-of-the-art podcasting studio, located in the SBVC Department of Film, TV, and Media.

In this exclusive interview, Wen Hou opens up about the disappearance of his father, Naiping Hou, from Rancho Cucamonga. Wen recounts the chilling text messages that followed his father’s disappearance, and the moment he realized something was terribly wrong. Authorities later found Naiping’s home emptied, freshly painted, and over $1 million missing from his accounts. The case is now classified as a kidnapping, possibly linked to crypto-related elder fraud. Wen is offering a $250,000 reward for information that leads to his father’s safe return or the arrest of those involved. Anyone with information is urged to visit www.findnaiping.com to submit a tip—submissions can be made anonymously.