Local News

SOLEDAD — City of Soledad recently hosted its first-ever ceremony to raise the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) flag, in partnership with local veterans. Located outside Soledad City Hall, the flag will remain flown throughout September to honor those who are unaccounted for. The Aug....

SALINAS VALLEY — Summer Health Institute class of 2022 invested five weeks of their summer to advance their future as medical health professionals. After a competitive application process, this year 29 students from high schools across Monterey County took part in a special graduation ceremony...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Arts Council for Monterey County (Arts4MC) has announced the launch of a revamped grant initiative for its Community Arts Grants. This new program combines the previous Arts and Cultural Impact Grant and Community Arts Grants into one comprehensive offering. The initiative aims...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Multiple branches within the Monterey County Free Libraries system have reopened with full hours, matching their pre-pandemic service hours. The library’s website, emcfl.org, has information about branch locations and their hours, since hours differ by site and some branches have not yet...

JOB FAIRS MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Works will host a pair of Multiple Employer Job Fairs this month with various employers from the region. The events are: Wednesday, Feb. 12, from 1 to 4 p.m., and Wednesday, Feb. 26, from 1 to 4 p.m....

The U.S. vaccination campaign has been rolling along and picking up steam. Some 22% of California’s roughly 40 million residents are fully vaccinated, and more are signing up for appointments. COVID-19 case rates in the state are at some of their lowest levels since...

BRADLEY — Monterey County Public Works, Facilities and Parks is changing warning signs at Lake San Antonio from “Danger” to “Caution” regarding blue-green algae in the water. Test results in August and September showed the lake water contained cyanotoxins, toxins produced by blue-green algae and...

SALINAS VALLEY — California Rodeo Salinas has awarded educational scholarships to four Hartnell Community College students from the Salinas Valley. Local students Angelita Cisneros-Aguilar, Ashton Headley, Kyras Headley and Diego Llamas each received a scholarship from the California Rodeo Association. The 2020 recipients had to meet...

SOLEDAD — Soledad Police detectives have arrested 24-year-old Giovanni Lopez Orozco, a Soledad resident, for sexual acts on a child. With assistance from the King City Police Department, the suspect was located at work in King City and safely taken into custody by officers. Orozco’s bail...

DRUG DISPOSAL GONZALES — Sun Street Centers and Gonzales Police Department will be hosting National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 30. Residents can eliminate prescription drug abuse by turning in expired or unused prescription drugs — with no questions asked — from...