Local News

GREENFIELD — Vista Verde Middle School in Greenfield hosted a drive-through eighth-grade promotion ceremony Friday for the first time this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Attendees, dignitaries and staff members all wore masks and observed social distancing when possible at the June 5 ceremony. Families...

SOLEDAD — Fifteen inmates who participate in the California Prison Industry Authority (CALPIA) received their state-certified apprenticeships and nationally recognized job certifications last Thursday at Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad. The incarcerated men graduated from the Healthcare Facilities Maintenance Program, which teaches participants how...

GREENFIELD — Gregory Allen, a commander and acting chief with the Greenfield Police Department from 2015 to 2017, will rejoin the department as chief of police in September, the city announced Monday. Upon his return to Greenfield, Allen will lead a department of 22 sworn...

SOLEDAD — The South Facility at Correctional Training Facility (CTF) in Soledad will close by July 2022 due to a decrease in the minimum-security inmate population, announced California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation on Tuesday. The Level I general population unit, also known as Facility...

SOLEDAD — Three men have been arrested for murder after a double shooting in Soledad left one victim dead on Tuesday, according to the Monterey County Sheriff's Office. On May 18, two people were shot on Bluejay Lane in the Riverview Estates neighborhood, located off...

GREENFIELD — A Greenfield police officer has been arrested on felony charges related to assault. An arrest warrant was issued on June 10 for Christian Tapia, a four-year veteran of the Greenfield Police Department. He surrendered himself at the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office to face...

SOLEDAD — More than a dozen participants in a state-wide job training program offered by the California Prison Industry Authority (CALPIA) graduated in May with their certifications from Salinas Valley State Prison and Correctional Training Facility in Soledad. This was an emotional day for the...

SOLEDAD — Soledad Police conducted a traffic stop for a vehicle code violation March 19 at about 10:30 p.m., during which the officers immediately recognized all three of the vehicle’s occupants as active Norteno gang members.  After a search of the vehicle, three fully loaded...

SOLEDAD — After one year as Soledad’s head football coach, Jose Martinez has resigned due to personal reasons. “I resigned for a couple reasons, but the main reason is that it’s not my time,” Martinez said. “I have to step away and take care of...

SOLEDAD — Soledad High School hosted a drive-through graduation for its Class of 2020 last Saturday, having students remain in their cars with family members before it was time to walk the stage individually. Masks were worn and social distancing was observed except during...