Local News

GONZALES — Monterey County District Attorney’s Office announced Feb. 7 that Manuel Basaldua, 34, of Gonzales has been arrested and charged with felony DUI charges from on an incident on May 12, 2024. Basaldua, vice principal at an elementary school in Salinas, has been charged...

CENTRAL COAST — Technology empowers communities, and a partnership between Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) and MBEP member organization Loaves, Fishes & Computers (LFC) made powerful strides last year in closing the digital divide in Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties. In late 2023,...

MONTEREY COUNTY — With tax season underway, United Way Monterey County (UWMC) is making it easier for local residents to file their taxes accurately and affordably. Through MyFreeTaxes, a free and secure online filing tool, individuals can prepare and submit their federal and California state...

UPDATE (Feb. 21): On Feb. 20 at about 3:38 p.m., Soledad Police were notified by Flock cameras that the suspect vehicle had entered the city. Officers reviewed the footage and located the vehicle parked at the suspects’ residence. Police surrounded the home and safely...

GREENFIELD — Monterey County Immigrant Rights Ad Hoc Committee will host its second “Know Your Rights” Immigration Forum at Vista Verde Middle School in Greenfield on Wednesday, Feb. 19, at 6 p.m. The Ad Hoc Committee is comprised of dozens of local leaders from the...

EDUCATION COHORT MONTEREY COUNTY — The 2024-25 Inside Education Monterey County Cohort will begin its next tour on Friday, Feb. 21. Guests who sign up to experience this unique hands-on experience will dive deep into the topic of Career Technical Education and Project-Based Learning in...

Ariana Mercado of Soledad was named to the University of Saint Mary Fall 2024 Dean’s List, which includes students who ended the semester with a 3.5 GPA or better. USM is a Catholic co-educational applied liberal arts university founded and sponsored by the Sisters...

SOLEDAD — Soledad Community Health Care District (SCHCD) has announced the swearing-in of Maria Schell, NP, as its newest board director. Elected by the community in November 2024, Schell officially took her oath of office on Jan. 28. The newly formed board began its tenure...

CENTRAL COAST — More metallic balloons are sold for Valentine’s Day than any other holiday and, not surprisingly, it’s also around this time of year that Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) sees an uptick in outages caused by metallic balloons drifting into overhead power...

DONORS NEEDED CENTRAL COAST — The American Red Cross urges donors to give blood in February to help build up the blood supply after thousands of donations went uncollected last month. People of all blood types — especially those with type O negative blood —...