Local News

SALINAS VALLEY — ArtWorks @Salinas is opening its spring 2026 exhibition season with a collection of works that explore identity, heritage, storytelling and place. Now on display, the curated showcase features multidisciplinary artists whose pieces offer both personal and collective perspectives. Featured artist Rubí Hernández will...

SOLEDAD — Former Soledad resident Noel Aguilera Ledesma was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison on March 12 for the 2010 murder of his ex-girlfriend, Yvette Martinez, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office announced. A jury convicted Ledesma, 44, of first-degree murder in...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County authorities have arrested three people in connection with the murder of an inmate at the Monterey County Jail in Salinas. The victim, 30-year-old Abraham Camacho of Hayward, was found unresponsive Sunday morning in a jail housing unit. Deputies conducting a...

SOLEDAD — Once upon a time there was a lot of buzz going around Soledad with the anticipated opening of Reel Rock Brewery in 2025. But, according to co-owner Mike Carrillo, the project went flat just a couple of months after breaking ground last June...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Hitchcock Road Animal Services (HRAS) now has the support of a dedicated new nonprofit: Friends of Hitchcock Road Animal Services (FoHRAS), a 501(c)(3) volunteer led organization committed to raising funds for Monterey County’s only government-operated animal shelter. FoHRAS was founded by community...

Youth Council presents Community Garden Day GONZALES — Gonzales Youth Council invites the community to attend its upcoming Community Garden Day on Saturday, March 28, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the corner of Elko Street and Fairview Drive. The event will feature a variety...

SOLEDAD — County of Monterey and the City of Soledad marked the first-year milestone of a partnership aimed at permanently resolving a long-standing encampment along the Salinas River with the grand opening of the Sendero Interim Housing Facility. The city hosted the event March 9...

SALINAS VALLEY — This weekend, audiences are invited to experience an electrifying celebration of movement, music and artistry as “Spring into Dance” takes the stage in a dynamic joint production by Monterey County Dance Foundation and Monterey County Dance Theatre. Unlike traditional storybook ballets, “Spring...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Cal State Monterey Bay’s College Corps will nearly triple in size and add two neighboring community colleges to its program after receiving a $9 million grant. CSUMB was selected as a returning #CaliforniansForAll College Corps partner campus and lead institution in February. The...

GONZALES — Gonzales High senior Melissa Cardenas was awarded the Donna Zoller Memorial Scholarship worth $10,000 from First Tee of Monterey County last Wednesday during a surprise announcement at the school. Cardenas, 17, daughter of Maricela Pacheco and Aurelio Cardenas of Gonzales, worked diligently to...